§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons were detained in(a) Her Majesty's prison, Greenock, (b) Cornton Vale prison and (c) other prisons in each of the past 10 years.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 23 March 1995]: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.
Average daily prison population 1984–1993 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 21994 CorntonVale 172 189 183 168 144 133 138 155 167 173 Greenock1 — 147 178 167 158 167 189 218 246 239 Other prisons 5,101 5,252 5,085 4,894 4,684 4,424 4,512 4,884 5,224 5,173 Total 5,273 5,588 5,446 5,229 4,986 4,724 4,839 5,257 5,637 5,585 1 Greenock was a female establishment until 1975. From 1976 it was not in use until March 1986 when it reopened as a male establishment. 2 Provisional.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for reducing suicides and attempted suicides amongst prisoners and those held on remand in prison; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 23 March 1995]: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Dr. Norman Godman, dated 24 March 1995:
402WLord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about reducing suicides and attempted suicides by prisoners.The Scottish Prison Service has commissioned Dr. Kevin Power and Dr. Joseph Mcllroy of the Department of Psychology at the University of Stirling to undertake a comprehensive evaluation (currently in progress) of the operation of the SPS suicide prevention strategy. In addition, I have asked Professor John Gunn, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, to consider the appropriateness of the current strategy against developments in the care of "at risk" people in other jurisdictions. Professor Gunn is an internationally renowned figure in the care of the mentally disturbed offender in prison.A new design of supervision cell was introduced at HMP Aberdeen last year and is being progressively introduced throughoutLetter from E. W. Frizzell to Dr. Norman Godman, dated 24 March 1995:
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question relating to the number of persons detained in HM Prison, Greenock, HM Prison Cornton Vale and other prisons in each of the past ten years.Information on the total number of persons received to each of the establishments is not available over this period because information on first receptions (those people with no existing custodial sentence) was collected only from 1991. In addition, those people received on remand and as sentenced prisoners cannot be added together to produce a total number of "persons detained" because of the considerable overlap between these two categories. The table below therefore gives the average daily prison population.the prison estate. Additionally, new forms of clothing and bedding for "at risk" prisoners are in use and a rolling programme of training in dealing with such prisoners is underway for prison nursing staff.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study is made of the findings of fatal accident inquiries into self-inflicted deaths of prisoners and those held on remand in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [15667]
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 23 March 1995]: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from D. A. Stewart to Dr. Norman Godman, dated 24 March 1995:
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to reply to your Question about what study is made of the findings of fatal accident inquiries into self-inflicted deaths of prisoners and those held on remand in prisons. I am replying in his absence.The Executive Steering Group, comprising senior prison management and representatives of psychiatric and psychological services, has responsibility for continuing oversight of the implementation of the Scottish Prison Service suicide prevention strategy. The Group considers all fatal accident findings on suicides in prisons with a view to determining whether any changes to the strategy are required and how best they may be implemented within operational constraints.